Noir

The old man watched each face as his motorcade weaved through the cheering crowd. Some hadn’t eaten for days, their hollow eyes begging his blessing.

Through the car’s speakers, a voice was listing the itinerary of the day.

“At 8 you have the talk in the main square. We’ve already prepared it – the usual concern for the poor, a wish to heal old wounds and reach across divides.”

The old man smiled to the crowd.

“Later, we need to discuss the portfolio. $30bn is still tied up in Switzerland.”

“Leave it there,” the old man growled. “All of it.”

(c) Tim Austin, 2016. Image by Nacho Arteaga via Unsplash.

“Saint” was suggested by bestselling author Sue London, whose various (superb!) works can be found on Amazon, here, alongside other outlets. If following people on Twitter is your bag, you can find Sue @cmdrsue.

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The woman flicked the notes carefully through her fingers, tapping the stack of cash against her desk and peering up over her horn-rimmed glasses.

“Not police?”

The man shook his head. There was a note of threat to the question and he turned away, fixing his gaze through the doorway, his heart racing.

Silken bronze skin swept beneath long curls of onyx hair. Asian eyes were lidded and docile. The woman he desired tugged her skirt over a blackened bruise.

“You like?” the Madame slipped the money into a draw, her finger stroking a pistol.

“Yes. Very much,…”

(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Tom Sodoge via Unsplash.

This story was inspired by an audition I went to in Soho, years back. I ended up drinking coffee in a cafe near the studio and watched as a woman tried to tempt men into a doorway. I only ever heard a snippet of words over the noise of the crowd: “Not Police?” It always stayed with me.

If you have a word that reminds you of something, pop it in the comments and I’ll write you a story. You can also tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.

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Earlier in the week I asked you to vote for your favourite story of last week – wow, what an even selection of votes! It was a five way tie for the last 5 days until a last minute vote for “Knife” tipped the balance.

And here it is, as promised: my audio reading of “Knife” – based on the word donated by Mike Wells.

Grinding the blade against the table reminded Sid of school: scratching words into the underside of his desk as his history teacher droned on about the French revolution. The messages he left for her got him expelled. This message would be much worse.

Sid chuckled, sneering as he plunged a ragged full stop into the wood. The breath he used to scatter the splinters was almost tender; a love letter to the detective chasing him.

He laid two severed fingers on the desk and sheathed the knife, three words cut in stark, bloody capitals: “See you Soon.”

(c) Tim Austin 2016

Today’s word, “Knife”, was kindly donated by the wonderful Mike Wells, thriller writer extraordinaire and author of the best-selling Lust, Money and Murder books. Thanks for the inspiration, Mike! You can find him on Twitter @MikeWellsAuthor and at mikewellsbooks.com.

Keep those words coming in – tweet them to #onewordonestory and I’ll join you tomorrow for “Sehnsucht”. Follow the blog for a new story every day!

The Dark Haired Man’s eyes gleamed as silver coins tumbled against his palm. He knew the amount and he knew not to check it: The Egyptian always paid in full. Cigar smoke twisted against the ceiling, a dust-laden fan cutting each wisp into the close, rancid air. He watched it spin to nothing, looking through the fug at a future full of golden sands and endless moonlit nights. Sparks flared against glass as the Dark Haired Man stubbed the cigar out and gazed down at The Egyptian’s lifeless body. “Always nice doing business with you.”

(c) Tim Austin 2016

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Got a word? Want me to write a story about it? Tweet it using the hashtag #onewordonestory and I’ll use it! You’ll get a credit for the inspiration, too – right here, underneath.